The NFL began the process of releasing their Top 100 players on Sunday, Aug. 14, starting with numbers 100-51.Five Saints were voted by their peers into the half of the Top 100 that was revealed Sunday. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore was No. 89, linebacker Demario Davis came in at No. 74, a new edition to the Saints, safety Tyrann Mathieu was No. 70, defensive end Cameron Jordan was No. 69, and running back Alvin Kamara topped off the bottom half at No. 51, marking his fifth straight year in the Top 100.
In Lattimore's fifth year, he showed improvement in every major category in 2021. Lattimore played in 16 of 17 games, totaling 68 tackles, up six from 2020, of which 55 were solo. He also had one fumble recovery and three interceptions, both of which are up one from the previous season. He also defended 19 passes. Lattimore was also one of four players selected to represent the Saints in the 2021 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. In his career, Lattimore has played in 73 games, and he has achieved 290 tackles, 13 interceptions, five of which came in his stellar rookie campaign, one touchdown, and 70 passes broken up.
In 2021, Davis led the Saints in tackles for the fourth consecutive season with 105, and it was the fifth straight year he has totaled more than 100 tackles in a season. He also had three sacks, seven passes defensed, 13 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits and was named second-team All-Pro for the second straight year, and All-Pro for the third consecutive season. Davis played in 16 of 17 games, missing the first game of his NFL career due to health and safety protocols in Week 16, but still equaled his career high in tackles for loss. He played every snap on defense in 15 of his 16 games. Throughout his nine-year career so far, Davis has played in 144 games. He has tallied 917 total tackles, 552 of which were solo, 25.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 29 passes defended and one interception.
Mathieu had a phenomenal 2021 campaign as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs secondary. He played in 16 games, which was a career high for him, and he totaled 76 tackles, one sack, three passes defended, and three interceptions. He also added a touchdown. Throughout his career, Mathieu has been a formidable piece of any defense he was on. He has played 113 games, and he has 535 total tackles, eight sacks, 61 passes broken up, 22 interceptions, three touchdowns, and four forced fumbles.
Jordan surpassed the 100-sack mark for his career in 2021, finishing with a team-leading 12.5 sacks and raising his career total to 107. He now is second in franchise history, trailing Rickey Jackson's 115. Jordan played in 16 of 17 games, missing the first and only game of his career due to Covid protocols in Week 14. In posting his franchise-record sixth season with at least 10 sacks, including four of the last five, the 11-year veteran totaled 8.5 sacks in the final four games. He also finished with 13 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and 59 tackles. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive season, and the seventh time overall. In his career, Jordan has played 176 games, and he has put up impressive numbers during that time. He has 573 total tackles, 107 sacks, 56 passes defended, 13 forced fumbles, two interceptions and one touchdown.
In 2021, Kamara led the Saints in rushing (898 yards on 240 carries), receptions (47 for 439 yards) and touchdowns (nine, with four rushing and five receiving) despite missing four games with knee and hamstring injuries. It was the second-highest rushing total of his career, on his most attempts in a single season, and kept alive his streak of totaling at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of his five NFL seasons. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons. Throughout his career, Kamara has been rock-solid for New Orleans. He has played in 73 games, putting up 4,238 yards rushing on 912 attempts, an average of 4.6 yards per carry, adding 47 ground touchdowns to that. He also has 373 receptions for 3,263 yards and 20 receiving touchdowns. Throughout his five-year career, Kamara has been as steady as they come. He only fumbled the ball six times throughout his pro career, and only one of them was recovered by the opposing team.
The rest of the NFL Top 100 reveal will continue Sunday with numbers 50-31 being released at 3:30 p.m. central, and numbers 30-21 will be released at 10 p.m. that same day. Be sure to tune in to NFL Network to see which players made it as some of the best in the league entering the 2022-23 season
